Calories dropping in school lunches, for better or worse

New York City and the Bloomberg Administration have made some very large strides in recent years to improve the nutrition of the public, such as placing bans on sugary beverages and fat in restaurants. Yet it seems that their force for change has come with compromises. Recent light has been shed on just how school lunches have been affected across the city. In an effort to improve nutrition a significant cut in calories has been the result. Officials now question whether these changes are in accord with national guidelines set by the USDA.

According to the old guidelines, children were to receive a school lunch of 785 calories. Now high school students receive a lunch of 750 calories, 600 for middle school students and 550 for elementary school students. This cut in calories has left many concerned. According to the statistics, one in four children in NY City live in homes where meals are inconsistent. For some children their meal at school will be their only well balanced nutrient dense meal they eat all day. Executive Director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger, Joel Berg, comments “It is based on politics and personal whims, not nutrition science. It is based on the city’s absurd belief that hunger no longer exists among children. The city’s one and only response to child hunger is taking food away from kids.” The city receives $400 million a year in lunch financing, for some 860,000 school lunches.

William J McCarthy, a professor at the University of California in public health and psychology, is in favor of the caloric cut and looks at NYC’s stance as a great example. He says “There’s been an excess of focus on trying to get the right number of calories. The calories will take care of themselves if we get kids to make better food choices such as filling half their plate with vegetables.”

Despite the harsh criticism the changes were made in an effort to deal aggressively with the problem of childhood obesity. Menus were changed to lower fat and sodium intake, include fresh vegetables and salad bars, and eliminate soda and other sweet beverages. As a result last years’ obesity rates in the city for children in kindergarten to eighth grade have dropped by 5.5%. This decline is more than any other heavily populated city. Yet with a childhood obesity rate of 21%, there is still a long way to go.